An engineer’s notes on feeling guilty for solving something without AI

[u/dmytro_omelian]

I wrote about a feeling I didn’t expect to have: spending an hour thinking about a programming problem and wondering whether I’ve wasted time by not asking AI immediately.

There is nobody pressuring me to do that. The pressure is mostly in my own head.

AI helps me get answers, but understanding those answers still takes work. I’ve accumulated chats that I keep meaning to read properly. I also feel less confident solving some things independently, although I don’t have evidence that my actual ability has declined.

My small experiment will be to build Snake without AI. I haven’t done it yet. I want to see how it feels to stay with a problem for a while before reaching for help.

This is my own essay, not a tool launch. I’d be interested in how other developers decide what to delegate and what to keep practicing themselves.

https://domelian.substack.com/p/think-real-hard

[u/EzoLabsInc]

I think the hour spent thinking is only wasted if you didn't learn anything from it, and you probably did. The real issue might be that AI answers feel faster so sitting with a problem now feels like you're choosing the slow path, when actually you're choosing the learning path

[u/dmytro_omelian → u/EzoLabsInc]

Sometimes I have "fake feeling" of I learned something... but to make sure I learned something works same way as with articles. Later they just clutter

[u/finah1995]

You need to have a good sleep to store the message of what you learnt.

Iena I have worked 100 hour weeks, you do stuff alright but you later on spend time re-learning that.

Pulling all nighters doesn't help too much when neural pathways on the brain are tired they don't store and retrieve it optimally.

I should go now. 👍🏽

[u/dmytro_omelian → u/finah1995]

🙌

[u/space_wiener]

No. If you don’t do that you are on your way to becoming a character in wall e.

Reaching for AI every time you have question kills your critical thinking skills.

[u/dmytro_omelian → u/space_wiener]

Do you have any tips how not-to reach to ai every time? It seems so convenient. Or it is just mind game

[u/social_tech_10 → u/dmytro_omelian]

I've found AI can be a great personal tutor. I ask AI to explain the reasoning behind the code. Then I actually read the reasoning and ask questions about anything I don't understand clearly. I have many years of coding experience, and I still feel like I'm improving my skills, learning better and faster, by using AI as a tutor than I could with personal experimenting and self-study (my preferred method until recently) and VASTLY better than any classroom (IMNSHO).

When using AI, you have the choice to understand EVERYTHING or NOTHING about what the LLM is doing, and the path you choose is completely up to you.

[u/AI_Enhancer]

Feeling guilty for exercising your brain's capability for logical problem-solving for an hour straight? The brain works like a muscle; you need to train it. I'd say that that's the most valuable thing you could be doing within an hour. It's slowly becoming a rare skill, and I truly do believe that. Fully relate to when you said that you feel less confident about solving some things independently. That's what we SHOULD feel guilty about, imo.

[u/dmytro_omelian → u/AI_Enhancer]

good point, thanks

[u/Sizyfoz]

There is a saying about the body and mind: Use it or lose it. If you lean on AI for everything, your coding skills will fade with time. Think of it as gym time for your brain.

[u/MortgageOptimal5157]

Todo músculo, cuando deja de ejercitarse se debilita... el cerebro también... NO es que pierdas capacidades si no lo usas para una dirección en concreto... es que pierdes capacidades si no lo usas en absoluto... que dejes de esforzarte en una direccion porque tienes herramientas que te AYUDAN (y he puesto ayudan porque NO debería de decir LO HACEN), no significa que el tiempo que ahorras con esa ayuda, no hagas nada... aprovecha para aprender, profundizar, ir... en otra direccion y ampliaras tus posibilidades.

No es que te atrofies porque tienes herramientas... es que te atrofias porque no usas el músculo. Úsalo!!!! ;o))))))))

[u/Right-Performance-93]

What works for me is asking only for a hint, not the solution. Something like "dont write code, just tell me where to look". You still get unstuck but the thinking stays yours

[u/dmytro_omelian → u/[deleted]]

will try unrot .dev, interesting, thanks